Property Crimes in Central Valley Stand Among the Highest in the State

Between 1994 and 2003 property crimes in four Central Valley counties, including San Joaquin, Sacramento, Stanislaus, and Merced, stood among the highest in the state.  Their rates significantly surpassed the state’s average rates.  Prior to 2000 Sacramento topped the other counties, posting rates as high as over 4,300.  After that, San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties surpassed Sacramento in 2002 and 2003, respectively.  In fact, it was then San Joaquin County took over the lead, posting the highest property crime rates among those regions.

It is interesting to note that the four counties and the state experienced the same fluctuations over time.  Their property crime rates gradually declined until 2000 before slowly climbing back up afterwards.  Such similarities suggest the possibility that some common factors may exist in these regions, driving the crime rates up and down.

Graph of the Week, July 10, 2006, Business Forecasting Center, University of the Pacific